The present invention relates to clothing hangers. Specifically, the present invention is a clothing hanger with adjustable length shoulders to accommodate clothing of varying width.
Conventional clothing hangers known in the prior art include a hook positioned between two shoulders. Some clothing hangers further include a cross-piece connecting the shoulders to connect and brace the shoulders.
Many variations on the conventional clothing hanger have been developed. For example, it is known to include clips on the cross-piece from which a user may hang trousers. Similarly, it is known to mount clips or the like along the shoulders or across the cross-piece from which neckties may be hanged.
A particular problem with conventional clothing hangers is that the distance between the shoulders and the length of the shoulders are fixed. Thus, conventional clothing hangers must be formed in a variety of sizes to accommodate different size clothing. That is, the length of the shoulders varies to accommodate clothing of different width.
In response to this problem, a variety of adjustable hangers have been invented. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,395 shows a clothes hanger having extensions that telescope from hollow hanger arms. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,572 discloses a collapsible clothing hanger in which lower arm segments may be collapsed into hollow upper arm segments to allow the hanger to be folded into a compact shape. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,358, shows a clothes hanger having extensions that depend from the underside of the shoulders of a clothes hanger.
However, a number of problems are presented by these prior art designs. First, the use of hollow hanger arms to accommodate telescoping extensions can weaken the hanger and lead to bending or breakage under normal loads.
Second, these adjustable hangers cannot be retrofitted onto existing clothing hangers. Thus, totally new hangers must be manufactured and purchased by users to take advantage of the adjustable width. Consequently, these new hangers are often costly to make and use.
Therefore, it can be seen that there is a need in the art for a clothing hanger device that can be adjusted to fit a variety of sizes of clothing to obviate the need to have a variety of single-size hangers without substantially weakening the hanger while providing the flexibility to be retrofitted to existing clothing hangers.
The present invention is specifically adapted for a conventional clothing hanger having right and left shoulders with a hook centered therebetween. The present invention may be retrofitted onto an existing clothing hanger or, in an alternate optional embodiment, integrated into a clothing hanger.
Right and left extension arms are mounted to the hanger in alignment with the right and left shoulders, respectively. The right and left extension arms may be mounted to the surfaces of the right and left shoulders of the hanger, or, in an alternate embodiment, may be secured to a mount resting on the shoulders of the hanger. The extension arms are guided along the shoulders by the mount or by guides on the shoulders. The extension arms are secured in position by locks.
In an embodiment including a mount, the mount includes at least one panel substantially parallel to the plane formed by the hanger shoulders. The panel supports the right and left extension arms and locks to hold the extension arms at a desired position. In an optional embodiment, the mount additionally includes retainers such as holes or clips for clothing articles such as scarves, neckties, and the like.
The locks may take many forms. For example, the locks may include a series of notches along an adjuster strip that secure to the hook of the hanger. In another optional embodiment, the locks include a series of ridges mating with a detent. In any case, the locks serve to secure the right and left extension arms at a desired position with respect to the hanger as they are moved along the right and left shoulders.
It is an object of the invention to provide a clothing hanger device that can be adjusted to fit a variety of sizes of clothing without substantially weakening the hanger while providing the flexibility to be retrofitted to existing clothing hangers.